viloma
|vi-lo-ma|
🇺🇸
/vɪˈloʊmə/
🇬🇧
/vɪˈləʊmə/
against the natural flow (reverse/segmented)
Etymology
'viloma' originates from Sanskrit, specifically the word 'viloma', where the prefix 'vi-' meant 'against' and 'loma' meant 'hair' or 'the natural order'.
'viloma' entered modern English as a technical term via yoga literature (from Sanskrit/Hindi) in the 19th–20th century and came to be used in English to denote the specific breathing practice and the notion of 'reverse' or 'against the natural flow'.
Initially it meant 'against the hair' in a literal Sanskrit sense; over time it evolved into a technical term in yoga for a reverse or segmented breathing technique and into a figurative sense of 'against the natural order'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a yogic breathing technique (pranayama) in which inhalation or exhalation is performed in interrupted or staggered segments, often described as the reverse or segmented form of standard breath control.
She practiced viloma pranayama to calm her mind before meditation.
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Noun 2
(Literal/Sanskrit) 'Viloma' literally means 'against the hair' or 'against the grain' — used figuratively to indicate something done opposite to the natural order or direction.
The term viloma literally means 'against the hair' in Sanskrit.
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Last updated: 2025/11/30 04:07